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Sunday, February 6, 2011

Jason and shawn review: Let Me In and Monsters

Let Me In

Jason: I have a love/hate relationship with this movie. On the one hand it's beautifully made, expertly acted, gruesome, dark and gritty. On the other, it's a pointless remake that lacks the heart, soul and emotional core that made Let the Right One In so damn good. Thankfully the vampire here is still a monster and still a little girl. Chloe Moretz is brilliant. Director Matt Reeves is a master at staging shots and atmosphere, but the film is sluggish and doesn't generate many thrills. Let Me In rates a Bad. We didn't need it to be made, but at least it isn't a total failure.

Shawn: Branding something as Made In the U.S.A. doesn't make it better. I guess cashing in on the success of something else is what America is best at. I have yet to see the original, but am willing to bet it's better. This moves at a slow pace and I have a big gripe about the CGI kill in the tunnel. Usually I can accept CGI, but it was unnecessary here. The idea of this movie is cool, and I would like to see the original, but I am giving this version a Bad.

Monsters

Jason: This isn't a monster movie. It's not even really a movie. It's a human drama that just happens to have space aliens wandering around in the background. And it's good stuff too. At times Monsters feels like a documentary. Everything feels real and the world Gareth Edwards creates is a convincing one. The actors totally sell their roles and I enjoyed taking this journey with them. The film is a tad slow and, ultimately, doesn't really go anywhere. But it's a great ride and one I will take again. I'm giving Monsters a Good.

Shawn: Deceit. Lies. Monsters? Are there? I was hoping to see monsters. I think there might have been four. Sure the acting was great. The bonding without nudity was well done. I could accept all that if this was a movie not about monsters. If you want monsters, check out the trailer and watch the first 10 minutes. That way you get your money worth. This was not what I was expecting. It's boring and Ugly.